Perry assembles all-star legal team to fight indictment

Updated 4:58 pm, Tuesday, August 19, 2014

AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry's office unveiled a high-powered legal team Monday that will defend him against a felony indictment of abusing his power, including a lawyer who helped former President George W. Bush in the Florida recount.

Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee will lead the team, which he introduced at a downtown Austin hotel. It includes lawyer Ben Ginsberg, who was national counsel to President George W. Bush's 2000 and 2004 White House campaigns and represented him in the Florida recount. Ginsberg also was counsel for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.

Also representing Perry is Bobby Burchfield, who has argued cases up to the U.S. Supreme Court, was general counsel to President George H.W. Bush's 1992 re-election campaign and is on the leadership team of the pro-Republican Crossroads GPS.

Former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips also is on the team, Buzbee said, although he was not at the news conference.

In addition, high-profile Austin defense lawyer David L. Botsford will continue on the group of lawyers aiding Perry's defense.

'This is nothing more than banana republic politics," Buzbee said of Perry's indictment, pointing out criticism from scholars about its merits. "We are going to fight and we are going to win."

Photo: Mengwen Cao, The Associated Press

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Gov. Rick Perry's indictment on two felony charges Friday set off a maelstrom of reactions from elected officials and political insiders. Scroll through the slideshow to see what Republicans and Democrats had to say about the charges. less

Gov. Rick Perry's indictment on two felony charges Friday set off a maelstrom of reactions from elected officials and political insiders. Scroll through the slideshow to see what Republicans and Democrats had ... more

“Unfortunately, there has been a sad history of the Travis County District Attorney’s Office engaging in politically-motivated prosecutions, and this latest indictment of the governor is extremely questionable,” Cruz said in a Facebook post.

“Rick Perry is a friend, he’s a man of integrity – I am proud to stand with Rick Perry. The Texas Constitution gives the governor the power to veto legislation, and a criminal indictment predicated on the exercise of his constitutional authority is, on its face, highly suspect.”

Pictured, during his address at the RedState Gathering, Sen. Ted Cruz said conservatives are near victory in big fights like Obamacare and immigration.

“I’m disappointed with Travis County’s attempts to criminalize state politics," Dewhurst said. "As I understand the facts, Governor Perry’s acts were consistent with what any House or Senate Finance Chair would do to get the attention of a state agency.”

“The Texas Constitution gives the Governor clear veto authority, which the Legislature respects even when we disagree with some vetoes," Straus said. "That authority plays an important role in our system of government.”

“I think most reasonable people would come to the conclusion that it’s political in nature. I think most people would feel it’s not inappropriate to exercise a governor’s pergoative to not appropriate funds to a governmental authority that’s had a government official that’s conduced themselves in a way that gives the governor pause.” Munisteri said. “He has about a year and a half to the Iowa caucuses, so certainly this needs to be resolved before that.” Most Republican voters “will feel as I do – that this was politically motivated. This is not about somebody charged with taking a bribe … misusing government property. This is about a governor who said he didn’t want to agree to appropriations for a public official who had admittedly committed a crime.” “I don’t think anybody will think twice about it. Obviously, though, it’ll impact him if it hasn’t gone to trial or resolved prior to the 2016 season kicking into high gear. I think from his point of view he wants the quickest trial as possible.”

Appearing on Fox News to discuss Texas’ border enforcement surge on Saturday, Abbott said he had not looked at the Friday indictment but said he questioned how Perry could be indicted for “using his veto . . . vetoing a law and exercising how power.”

“I don’t know what to think of it,” Abbott said.

Pictured, Abbott discusses his education policies while visiting the Toyota plant on Monday May 12, 2014.

Asked whether Perry should step down, Davis told reporters: “As I said, there will be, I’m sure, more information that comes to light. I trust that the justice system will do its job, and these indictments handed down by the grand jury demonstrate that some very seriously potential crimes have been committed.”
That puts her at odds with the state Democratic Party, which said the governor should resign shortly after the indictment was revealed.

Castro tweeted, "For
the sake of Texas, Governor Perry should resign following his indictment on two
criminal felony counts involving abuse of office."

Pictured, Castro chats in the lobby as Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro readies to speak at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists convention at the Marriott Rivercenter on August 9, 2014.

“Governor Rick Perry has brought dishonor to his office, his family and the state of Texas. Texans deserve to have leaders that stand up for what is right and work to help families across Texas. The indictment today shows a failure of Governor Perry to follow the law," Hinojosa said. "This is systematic of a broader problem: Ken Paxton is facing a possible indictment and Attorney General Abbott has refused to rule on whether Governor Perry can use taxpayer dollars to cover his legal expenses. We call on Governor Perry to immediately step down from office. Texans deserve real leadership and this is unbecoming of our Governor.”

Pictured, Newly-elected Texas State Democratic Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa meets with members of the Bexar County Young Democrats at Madhatters Tea House & Cafe, Wednesday, June 27, 2012.

David Axelrod, former senior White House adviser to President Barack Obama:

"Unless he was demonstrably trying to scrap the ethics unit for other than his stated reason, Perry indictment seems pretty sketchy," Axelrod tweeted.

This Jan. 28, 2011 file photo shows David Axelrod, outgoing senior White House adviser to President Barack Obama, during an interview with the Associated Press at the White House. Axelrod, who is a former political reporter for The Chicago Tribune, has known the president since the early 1990s and was a driving force behind Obama's message of change during the 2008 campaign. He is a calming influence on the Obama 2012 campaign team and has helped focus on middle-class voters.

"Two pieces of wisdom: 1/2 Proverbs 18:17
In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines," Griffin Perry tweeted.

Pictured, Texas Gov. Rick Perry holds his new granddaughter Ella Gray Perry, as his son Griffin, right, Ella Gray's father stands close by. less

Griffin Perry, son of Rick and Anita Perry:

"Two pieces of wisdom: 1/2 Proverbs 18:17 In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines," Griffin Perry ... more

Photo: San Antonio Express-News

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Perry assembles all-star legal team to fight indictment

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Buzbee pointed out that Perry "did not run and hide" after the indictment, and he said that when he is booked, his team would let everyone know about it.

A judge on Monday set Perry's arraignment for Friday, though the governor does not have to be present. He will, however, be booked and a mug shot taken. Perry will be able to post a $25,000 personal recognizance bond.

Asked if state taxpayers would pick up the cost of the defense, Buzbee said the state would pick up "some part" of it, pointing out that a defense wouldn't be necessary had Perry not been indicted. Botsford already had been paid almost $80,000 through mid-July.

The case revolves around Perry's threat last year to veto funding for a public corruption unit overseen by Democratic Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned in the wake of a messy drunken-driving arrest. She stayed in office, and the Republican governor vetoed the money, saying she had lost the public's confidence.

Texans for Public Justice, a liberal government accountability group, filed a complaint against Perry, saying he was wrong to use his power to try to oust a locally elected official.

Perry was indicted Friday on one count of abuse of official capacity, a first-degree felony punishable by five to 99 years in prison, and one count of coercion of a public servant, a third-degree felony carrying a punishment of two to 10 years in prison.

He has contended the indictment is politically motivated and that he acted within his constitutional authority.

Special prosecutor Michael McCrum in an interview earlier Monday brushed aside those who suggest the case is a weak one.

"The case is going to bear itself out in the long run, both from a legal standpoint and from a factual standpoint," McCrum told the Express-News.